Thursday, April 24, 2014

Political reality in conservation!

OK, I know this is not strictly shark related, but how can we succeed in persuading our politicians to pass laws to protect our environment and endangered species, when they publicly violate the few laws they are passing?

This is a photo that Senator Cruz tweeted today. He's proudly posing with fellow Senator Lee showing himself "doing a little shopping for the office" You can see his tweet here.Just in case you are not aware, that it is illegal to bring any part of an endangered species into this country, here is a quote from the US Fish and Wildlife Service's website.

"Furs: Most of the world’s
wild cats, including tigers and such spotted species as
jaguar, leopard, ocelot, margay, and leopard cat, are
protected. You cannot import skins or items made from, or
trimmed with, the fur of these animals. Furs from seals, polar bears,
and sea otters are also prohibited."

It is frustrating to say the least, when all the hard work that goes into passing a law to protect our endangered species finally pays off, and a law is passed, only to see the lawmakers themselves violating those laws.

At least these two were dumb (or maybe arrogant) enough to post their illegal activities on twitter.

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO Shark Diver

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As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.